HUNTSVILLE, AL -- School administrators and the Huntsville Police Department are using the Christmas holidays to determine if the city's alternative school needs additional security.

The issue of safety at the Seldon Center was brought up Dec. 16 at the Huntsville city school board's regular meeting, when Seldon faculty member Linda Gaines addressed the board.

"You get to the point as an educator in which you've done all you can do," Gaines said, telling the board she feels the Seldon Center has been "overlooked" when it comes to security.

Gaines told board members that the school has two security guards, but just one "on-call" student resource officer. A student resource officer is a city police officer assigned to a specific school.

She said faculty, staff and students need at least one full-time SRO to maintain their peace of mind.

"It doesn't seem sensible to send students from a school with police officers to one where there are not any at all," Gaines told the board.

She said when an incident occurs in which security officers need backup from a police officer, administrators have to page the on-call officer.

"By the time he can respond, the damage is done," Gaines said.

She told the board that teachers, staff and students are afraid for their safety around some of the more troubled students, and claimed there had been 15 incidents with students this semester that resulted in 12 arrests.

"We're expected to take everybody and anybody," Gaines said. "Students are not even comfortable in the lunchroom. We've had teachers leaving in ambulances because of anxiety."

Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore told the board that she has addressed the issue several times over the years, most recently with Huntsville Police Chief Mark Hudson. She described Hudson's response as "noncommittal."

"He's going to look at it again, but right now it's in the hands of the chief," Moore said.

Hudson last week said that he did tell Moore the department would conduct a needs assessment of the Seldon Center over the holiday break, but that his office had not yet received a direct request for a full-time SRO from the school system.

"The school system reimburses the police department for the SRO, and I haven't received a request from Dr. Moore," Hudson said.

Hudson also said that, while there have been incidents "in the teens" at the school, Gaines was wrong about the number of arrests.

Only four arrests have occurred this semester, Hudson said.

The overall number of incidents that occur at Seldon "pales in comparison to the other high schools," Hudson said.

According to the school system's own count, the Seldon Center reported 306 total incidents during the 2009-2010 school year. Incidents recorded in the city's schools vary from alcohol use and defiance of authority to sexual harassment and assault.

Butler High School reported 1,229 total incidents, Grissom High School reported 1,188, Huntsville High School reported 985, Johnson High School reported 1,470 and Lee High School reported 1,068.

Columbia High School had slightly more reported incidents than Seldon with 450, and New Century Technology High, which is housed inside Columbia, reported just 85.

Hudson said his department treats the Seldon Center just like any other school in the system.

Systemwide, there are 18 SROs. Two are assigned to each traditional high school and officers are assigned to the system's middle schools according to each school's needs.

"The Seldon Center is no different," Hudson said.

Even if the police department determines that the Seldon Center does need more security, it may not come in the form of a full-time SRO.

"I just don't have a body that I can lift up and put there," Hudson said. "We have 40-something schools and 18 SROs.

"I'm not saying we're not going to put anybody there," Hudson continued. "But we're assigning officers based on where the greatest need is."

Hudson pointed out that the Seldon Center does have two full-time security officers.

"The ratio of students to each officer is much better than at other schools," he said.